Dmitriy Popov, the 17-year-old who stabbed dancer O’Shae Sibley outside a petrol station in Brooklyn in 2023, has been found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime and now faces 8 to 25 years in prison.
At the conclusion of the three-week trial, a jury found that the then 17-year-old had committed manslaughter, but not murder, sparing him from a potential life sentence. The verdict came after a week of deliberation. The jury also found Popov guilty of second-degree menacing, second-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Sibley had been refuelling a vehicle with a group of friends after returning from a birthday celebration at the Jersey Shore. The group were playing Beyonce’s Renaissance album and voguing when they were approached by another group of males who allegedly took offence to their dancing.
Witnesses testified that members of the other group shouted homophobic and racist statements and accused the dancers of being offensive to their Islamic religious beliefs. During the trial, Popov took the stand, denying that he had made the homophobic remarks and stating that he had acted in self-defence.
Popov stabbed Sibley with a kitchen knife he was carrying. The weapon pierced the 28-year-old’s heart, and he later died from his injuries in hospital. Popov fled the scene but later handed himself in to police. Prosecutors chose to try him as an adult.
District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the case showed that society would not tolerate hateful behaviour.
“O’Shae Sibley moved to New York to pursue his dream of being a dancer and choreographer, and his life was cut short when he was killed by this defendant, who couldn’t stand the sight of O’Shae and his friends just being themselves and living their lives openly as black gay men.
“By the jury’s verdict, this defendant will now be held accountable, and it is my hope that as the LGBTQ+ community celebrates the beginning of Pride Month, this verdict will bring O’Shae’s family, his friends, and the larger community some measure of solace. Hate has no place in Brooklyn, and my office will do everything in its power to keep our vulnerable communities safe.” Gonzales said in a statement.
The case will return to court later this month for sentencing.
